Operation in Banja Luka conducted by BiH Border Police: Ćulum refused SIPA to be the activity leader 'due to the general security situation'

The State Investigation and Protection Agency is not conducting an operation in the Republika Srpska. The story about a SIPA operation in RS was planted through journalists close to state prosecutor Dubravko Čampara in order to conceal last week's decision by SIPA Director Darko Ćulum that SIPA would not be the leader of this international operation. According to information obtained by Istraga, the operation is being conducted by the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The Border Police is the activity leader. SIPA is assisting to a lesser extent,” they told Istraga.ba from the Border Police of BiH.

As early as last week, Istraga.ba reported that SIPA Director Darko Ćulum had requested from the BiH Prosecutor's Office that SIPA not be the leader of the international operation targeting organized crime. It was precisely for this reason that the BiH Prosecutor's Office asked the BiH Court to “supplement” the original order so that the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, instead of SIPA, would be designated as the activity leader. To create the illusion that SIPA was still doing something, it was agreed with Ćulum that several inspectors from the State Investigation and Protection Agency would join the Border Police teams. However, the announcement of the operation and all other necessary documents were sent to the RS Ministry of Interior by the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. SIPA is not even mentioned in these documents, because all formal and substantive activities are being carried out by officers of the BiH Border Police.

The targets of this operation are Ratko Marić, Nenad Radinković, and Jovan Todorović, who are suspected of being part of an organized criminal group involved in smuggling weapons and explosive materials across the wider European Union area.

According to documentation in the possession of Istraga, on March 13 of this year, the BiH Prosecutor's Office requested from the BiH Court an order to search addresses used by the three suspects. In that proposal, it was stated that “the search and temporary seizure of items will be carried out by authorized officials of the State Investigation and Protection Agency, with the assistance of authorized officials and expert personnel from other law enforcement agencies, if necessary.” On the same day, March 13, the Prosecutor's Office delivered to SIPA order number: T20 O KTO 0024962 24 for the execution of the search warrant. However, a day later, the State Investigation and Protection Agency sent a letter to the BiH Prosecutor's Office, filed under number 16-04/2-04-1-2111-2/25 (dated March 13, delivered March 14), requesting that “the execution of the BiH Court's Order be entrusted to the BiH Border Police, all due to the general security situation.” The BiH Prosecutor's Office accepted this “request” from Director Darko Ćulum and sent a request to the BiH Court for a supplement to the Search Warrant. The new warrant incorporated the BiH Border Police. The Prosecutor's Office then sent the warrant to the BiH Border Police for execution.

To conceal the unlawful actions of SIPA Director Darko Ćulum, state prosecutors Džermin Pašić and Dubravko Čampara suggested to prosecutor Sanja Romić-Ljuboje and SIPA Director Darko Ćulum that they “attach” several of their inspectors to the BiH Border Police teams in order to create the illusion that SIPA was operating in the territory of the Republika Srpska. After that, prosecutor Čampara, through an FMUP official, planted information early this morning that SIPA was also participating in this operation.

However, this is a classic deception aimed at protecting Darko Ćulum, who, as he himself wrote in the document submitted to the BiH Prosecutor's Office, assessed that another agency should conduct the searches.